Rich Beem on Tiger Woods' playing return at The Masters and possible Ryder Cup captaincy in Adare Manor, in County Limerick
Fifteen-time major champion Tiger Woods has refused to rule out playing at The Masters, as he continues his recovery from disc replacement; Rich Beem has dismissed the idea of his return: "Having him go there and expecting him to get in the mix, that's a little far-fetched, I think"
Tuesday 24 February 2026 17:07, UK
After Tiger Woods teased golf fans by dropping a hint that he could make a stunning return at the Masters, Rich Beem dismissed the idea, saying: "you can't just pitch up to Augusta and play".
The 15-time major winner underwent a seventh back surgery in October and is also recovering from a torn Achilles sustained last March.
But speaking to the CBS broadcasting crew during the third round of the Genesis Invitational, he told announcers Jim Nantz and Trevor Immelman there is a possibility he could play at Augusta National in April.
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Speaking to Jamie Weir on the Sky Sports Golf Podcast, Beem said: "I thought it was interesting because you can't just pitch up to Augusta and play. He's done it before. I believe it was 2009 or 2010 after coming back from an issue. But Augusta is so different and so hard. And I think even Jim Nantz asked us if we were going to get a tournament beforehand in.
"Even playing a champions tour event in a golf cart would help a little bit. But even Tiger would admit to go to Augusta and to be ready, it's not just the physical or the mental part of it. The physical part of it, walking those hills, you're never hitting a single shot off of flat ground with the exception of off the tees. You're never standing on a flat surface at all. Second shots, pitches, even putts, you have to practice that and you have to practice that with a scorecard in your pocket. There's not too many golf courses or tournaments that he can play in between now and then that would give him that with the exception of maybe the Players Championship. But again, I don't see him playing that.
"Having him there obviously would be amazing. Having him go there and expecting him to get in the mix, that's a little far-fetched, I think.
"I'm not taking anything away from him and what he's capable of doing. And I mean, we know the mindset has always been there, always will be there, but you have to look at the physical aspect of it because you can sit there and hit golf balls on the driving range all day long and it can be flushing and great. But as soon as you get that hanging line for your second shot down the hill at two, I mean, it could go low left or you go high right and to hit it spot on is not that easy.
"I think that's the difficult part about looking at Tiger competing or playing in the Masters. Would we like to see him tee it up? Yeah, but we'd like to see him tee it up when he's fully ready to go and not just kind of doing it, kind of going through the motions a little bit, not that he would, but we'd like to see him compete a few times before then so we can kind of have a an idea of how he's going to do walking around and playing a difficult golf course like Augusta."
Weir asked Beem whether we seeing a different side to Woods now. A Woods starting to embrace the idea that he could be somebody who just goes there for the enjoyment of being at a course where he's won five times? His most recent outing at Augusta coming in 2024 as he finished in 60th.
"Yeah, but not right now. I think that the 2019 win is still too fresh in his mind," said Beem. "I mean, he's still physically fit. I shook his hand and after walking up the stairs and I'm like needing oxygen, he's laughing at me. I'm like, 'I don't see you doing these stairs with me'.
"And I promise you he could do the stairs with me and probably beat me eight days a week. But then I just pat him on his stomach. He just is ripped.
"From his point of view, he wants to go and wants to be physically fit enough to, 'hey, listen, I'm playing okay'. I'd like to make a little run here.
"Tiger realises that he can still do that because he's efficient. He can, he can make those small changes on, on keeping the golf ball down and low and chasing.
"He can hit different shots in order to help him keep himself in contention. And he knows the golf course better than anybody in the world on how to play it, how to be effective around Augusta National. So I think he can still be competitive if his body is going to allow him to, I just don't know the state of his legs and that's the biggest part about it because you got to have your legs underneath you for all 72 holes at Augusta.
"You can't go out there and feel weak because you're going to, that's when things go seriously wrong.
"I think he's going to want to tee it up at least two or three more times with the mindset 'hey, watch out guys, I'm playing well'."
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What about the Ryder Cup captaincy?
The 50-year-old has also spoken about the role of Ryder Cup captain for the United States in 2027, revealing he has yet to decide whether he will take up the role at Adare Manor in Ireland.
"I'm going to say no. I'd have a completely different answer from you if you're asking that three months ago," Beem said.
"I think that if, if he were to take the captaincy, he would have cemented his place as the captain already and say, 'boys, we're going'.
"I think it would kind of put the boys a little bit different frame of mind, even as far as advanced. But I think that he would be like, 'we're not going to mess around, we're going to go over there with every intent on, on taking this cut back on foreign soil and getting our stuff together going forward', because he's not going to accept the losing.
"You talk about Keegan Bradley handling that loss very poorly, and how it eats at him. I hear it's not going to be any happier if he goes over to his captain and they don't win. So I don't see it happening."
What's next?
Before the PGA Tour action resumes, there's TGL action live on Sky Sports Golf each night from Monday to Wednesday, with the first indoor action coming at 10pm on Monday night when Atlanta Drive GC take on Boston Common Golf.
Then the PGA Tour moves on from California to Florida for the Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches at the PGA National Champion Course. Jacob Bridgeman is scheduled to be straight back in action, while notable names on the entry list include Brooks Koepka as he continues his PGA Tour return, and Ireland's Shane Lowry.
There's early coverage live on Thursday from 11.45pm on Sky Sports Golf ahead of full coverage from 4pm. Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW
